For Teddy
by anonymous-etonnant
Summary: This is a sweet one-shot about Remus and Tonks the night of the final battle. (Summaries are the death of me. Promise the story is so much better! Please Read and Review)


"He's asleep," Tonks sighed and leaned against her husband, "Finally." The young mother added sighing again and tilting her head to look up at Remus and smile.

"You should go to bed," Remus told his wife, kissing her forehead lightly and offering up a small tired smile in return. It had been a long week for the new parents. With Teddy having colic and the ever present fear that surrounded these dark times there had been little sleep going on in the Lupin household.

"I'm not t-t-tired…" Tonks stuttered out as she yawned. Shaking his head Remus wrapped an arm around Tonks and turned them both round.

"Let's get you to bed." He mumbled, as they rounded the corner into their room.

Tonks pulled away from Remus and headed towards their bathroom. Hearing the click of the door Remus sighed. Their marriage wasn't perfect, but they loved each other and both of them were trying. The arrival of Teddy had definitely helped that process along. Despite his earlier doubts the moment Remus laid eyes on his son he knew it didn't matter what Teddy was or who he was, he would always love him.

A silvery wolf shot through the bedroom wall, interrupting Remus' thoughts. "Harry is at Hogwarts with Ron and Hermione. The final battle is beginning. Go to the Hogshead." Spoke Bill Weasley's Patronous and Remus took in a shocked breath, as the glimmering image before him dissipated.

"Is there someone here Remus?" Tonks poked her head out of the bathroom a toothbrush in hand.

"What?" Remus asked startled by his wife's sudden appearance, "Oh. No honey just talking to myself." He lied smoothly. All those years of being around James and Sirius had left their mark, "Come one let's go to bed." Tonks nodded and finished up in the bathroom before coming to lie next to Remus. Almost instantly her breathing slowed and Remus knew exhaustion had taken over his wife. Silently summoning paper and quill he began to write.

A few minutes later he gently lifted himself off the bed and sat the pieces of paper on his pillow. Dressing quickly he slipped across the hallway to Teddy's room. After hesitating for a second he turned the nob carefully and leaned in the room. His son was sleeping his hair rhythmically changing from teal to orange. A single tear slipped down the beaten wizard's face as he whispered, "This is for you Teddy. I'm doing this for you. I love you." And with that Remus slipped back out of his son's room, closing the door quietly behind him. He departed the house and apparated, tears still blurring his vision.

Tonks awoke only moments after Remus left, she wasn't sure what had roused her, but when she reached out for Remus he wasn't there. Instead of the warmth of her husband's skin her hand was met with the rough feel of parchment. Sitting up Tonks picked up the pieces of parchment. The first one was addressed to her in Remus' long neat scrawl.

_Dear Nymphadora,_

_Do not think this is a letter telling you I have run off again, for I could never do such a thing to you or Teddy ever again. No this letter is one to tell you how much I love you. Dora before I met you I was not a whole man. I attributed this feeling to my condition, but this was the wrong diagnoses. The reason I was not whole was because I had not yet been in love. From the day I met you I loved you. I stayed away for those two years because I thought I did not deserve you. And that thought was right. I do not nor ever will deserve you. Nymphadora Lupin you are the most kind, brave, unique, stubborn, loving, beautiful, funny, wonderful and compassionate person I have ever met and I will never deserve your love. You deserved so much better than I in your life. You deserved someone whole and young, but you wanted me and you will never know how much I love you for that. For wanting me for who and what I am. I love you and Teddy more than my own life and that is why I am about to do what I am about to do…_

_The battle at Hogwarts has begun. I got the message from Bill as we were getting ready for bed. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I knew you would insist on coming and if I don't live through this then Teddy should have at least one of his parents. He will grow up to be a brave, strong and wonderful just like his mother and I will fight to be there to see him grow into that man. But Tonks if the worst happens I want him to know why I did what I did and how much I loved him. I want him to know that his father died so he could grow up in a happier and better world. That is where the second piece of parchment comes into play. That is a letter to our son, our beautiful baby boy. If I do not come back tonight I want you to give this to Teddy on his seventeenth birthday._

_Please Dora do not follow me. Go to your mother's with Teddy, you will be safe there. Tell Andromeda that I am forever grateful for her accepting me into her family._

_I love you Nymphadora Andromeda (Tonks) Lupin and I love Teddy as well. I hope to see you very soon._

_Love Your Husband,_

_Remus_

Tears poured down Tonks' face as she read this letter, causing the fresh ink to smear, "Damn you Remus." She muttered lovingly, wiping her eyes. Of course he would go and do something like this. How could he go and expect her not to follow him? Did he really think she wouldn't go and fight for her son and her beliefs?

Rising out of her bed, Tonks grabbed Teddy's baby bag and crossed to her baby's room. Teddy was awoken by the sounds of the door opening for the second time and he started crying, "Don't worry baby mommy's here!" Tonks exclaimed scooping up her son and rocking him back and forth, "Mommy's here." Teddy stopped crying and cooed up at his mommy. Tears began spilling out of Tonks' eyes again as she held her child knowing what she was about to do, "Listen up Teddy okay? I love you. You hear me and so does your daddy. The thing is baby there a lot of bad things going on in the world right now and we don't want you to grow up in such a dark world. So we have to go and fix it. We have to get rid of the darkness for you, so you can have an amazing world to grow up in." His mother's tears splashed onto Teddy's face and he looked quizzically up at Tonks, "But we'll be back. You'll get to see us again I promise. We'll come home and we'll be a happy family, okay?" Tonks choked out her vision blurry with tears.

Staring at Teddy she didn't want to leave him. She knew the odds and she knew they weren't very good, but she had to try. Apparating on the spot Tonks landed in her mother's sitting room. Andromeda was already there, 'I got a message from Remus saying to expect you." She explained, smiling at her daughter.

"He left to go fight." Tonks told her mother, wiping the stray tears from her eyes. Andromeda nodded and embraced her daughter, with Teddy in-between them. Staying there for a long moment in her mother's embrace Tonks knew she couldn't bring herself to tell her mum what she had to do. Instead she pulled away and asked "Could I put him down? He's really tired." Andromeda nodded and led her daughter and grandson to her bedroom where the spare bassinet was.

Tonks laid Teddy down in the bassinet and started singing quietly.

"_Good night sweet heart well it's time to go to bed, do do do do do, Good night sweet hear well it's time to go to bed, do do do do do, Your mommy loves you and your daddy does to, Good night sweetheart it's time to go to bed."_

Kissing Teddy's forehead, Tonks whispered, "I love you baby. I'll see you soon." And with that she quietly left the room. Turning down the hall Tonks entered her old room and sat down at her desk. Quickly pulling out some parchment, ink and a quill she began writing. A little while later she sealed the letter and left her room in search of her mother.

Andromeda was in the kitchen when Tonks found her, "Mum-" She began, but Andromeda cut her off.

"You're leaving. Aren't you?" She asked straight forward and simply looking her daughter in the eye. Tonks nodded and Andromeda sighed, "I suppose I can't stop you, but Dora you have a son who needs you."

"They killed dad." Tonks told her mom quietly, "They've taken so much joy and happiness from people. I can't stand by and watch as my friends and family fight them. I have to be there. I have to make this world a better place for my baby. Plus I will come back. Remus and I will come back and we'' be a family. Teddy will grow up in a better world."

Andromeda smiled sadly at her daughter, her eyes damp, "And if you don't?"

"Then I know Teddy will grow up being loved. I know he will grow up hearing about why we didn't come back." Nymphadora returned her mother's smile with a sad one of her own, "These letters are for Teddy. If Remus and I don't come back, please give them to him when he's seventeen." Handing her mother the letters and she hugged her mother tightly and stood, "I love you mom." Was the last thing Andromeda Tonks ever heard her daughter say.

Later that night at 10:49pm Andromeda Tonks was awoken by the wailing of her grandchild. Jumping out of bed and rushing to Teddy's bassinet, she picked up the child. His hair and eyes had turned black and he was wailing with all his heart. At that moment Andromeda Tonks knew her own baby wouldn't be coming back that night.

17 YEARS LATER

Teddy had just gotten back to Gryffindor tower after a long quidditch practice. It was seventeenth birthday and throughout the whole day he had been receiving presents. Andromeda had sent her present over early that morning and that is why Teddy was surprised to see her owl Apollo waiting for him in his head boy room. After he removed the letters from the owl's leg, Teddy opened the envelope. The first slip of paper he pulled out was from his Grandmother.

_Dear Teddy,_

_The letters in this envelope are from your parents. They left them in my possession when they departed for the final battle. Their instructions were not to give them to you until your seventeenth birthday. Now here we are all these years later and I find myself debating whether I should have held these back. Will they do more harm than good? I ask myself, but in the end I can't deny my daughter her last wish, so here you go Teddy._

_Love,_

_Your Grandma_

Teddy's eyes were wide with surprise and he took a few deep breaths before reaching back into the envelope. The first letter he pulled out was from his father. Tracing the long slanting handwriting with his finger Teddy marveled at this moment, before he began writing.

_Dear Teddy Remus Lupin,_

_This is your dad. If you're reading this then we never got the chance to get to know each other and for that I am so sorry. I am sure you have grown into a strong young man and I wish I could have been there to see that. There's a war going on right now. I'm sure you will have learned all about it in school by now, so you know how it began and how it ended. That's something you know that I don't how things will end. There are a million things I want to tell you, but I don't have very much time. So here are the most important ones._

_Son I know you might feel like I abandoned you and your mum and I did, but not because I didn't love you. I did it because you two are the most important things in my life. I love you both more than anything on this earth and I want you to know that. Leaving was the hardest thing I have ever done, but I left because I wanted you to grow up in a world full of light instead of darkness. I wanted your childhood to be filled with happiness and joy, not destruction and fear. So now you know why I left you that night and you also know it was for you._

_I also want to tell you about your mum. You probably already know all of this, but I want to tell you anyways. Your mother is the strongest most courageous woman I know. She's been through so much and has always come out laughing. She has the best since of humor and has entertained people when they needed it the most. You get your ability to change you appearance from her, did you know that? Of course you did. Anyways I don't ever think I've seen her without some crazy hair color. Her favorite was always bubble gum pink, but personally I liked it the best when it was blue. Something else about your mother that you might not know and you cannot tell her I told you is that she is extremely ticklish. I swear if you poke her in the side she will go into a fit of hysteria. But the most important thing about you mother is that she loves fiercely and never gives up. She never gave up on me and for that I will be forever grateful._

_Enough about your mother though, I'm sure you know all of this already anyways. I have one more thing to tell you Teddy, before I go. I love you and I will love you till I die and if there is a world after this I will love you then to. Never forget how much I love you and never forget to love others. For as a very wise man once told me: "Love is the strongest magic there is."_

_I am sorry I never got to know you._

_Love,_

_Your father._

Tears splattered the old parchment as Teddy read and re-read the last words his father would ever say to him. For so long he had heard the story of his fathers' life. He had heard what his dad had been through, he had heard about what a great man he was, but now he got to read it for himself. Taking a choking breath he reached for his mother's letter and began reading.

_Dear Teddy,_

_I love you baby. I love you so much and if you're reading this then you probably never remember hearing me say this, but I did. I told you how much I loved you a hundred times I day and I wish I could have gone on telling you it forever. But somethings we want don't always turn out to be. Life has taught me this and the more I have learned this lesson the more I hate it._

_Teddy you know who you were named for? I'm sure your grandfather has told you, but let me just remind you. You were named for your grandmother Ted Tonks. He died not so long ago because he wasn't a pure-blood You and your grandfather along with your father and grandmother are the reason I am going to fight tonight. I want to leave my mark. I want to make the world a better place and not matter how much I wish I could I can't do that by staying home._

_Standing there by your bassinet moments ago I wanted nothing more than to hold you forever. I wanted to stop any harm from ever coming to you and I knew to do that I had to leave. But even though I knew that I didn't want to do it. I didn't want to leave my son that I had barely begun to know. Putting you down that night was the most difficult decision of my life and I want you to know that._

_I am sure you have grown into a marvelous young man. I know you are well loved and I know you love as well. I hope you've found someone who makes you as happy as your father made me and if you haven't found that person yet keep looking. Teddy I wish I could have been there to see you grow up, but I wasn't and I hope you can forgive me for not being there. I love you more than anything son and so does your father._

_Love,_

_Your Mum_

Silent sobs wracked Teddy's body and he rocked back and forth staring at the letters his parents had written just for him. He had always been told how much they had loved him, but a small part of him had always doubted it, now that small part was gone. They had loved him more than anything in the world and that was why they had to leave. He understood now, but that didn't stop the hurt and pain from pouring out of him.

His room door creaked open, but Teddy didn't hear it. Victoire Weasley slipped in; she had received a letter from Andromeda letting her know about the letters and had rushed to find Teddy. At the sight of her boyfriend in tears Victoire ran over to him and slipped her arms around him, careful not to crumple the letters. The two sat there for a long time Teddy crying into Victoire's hair and Victoire whispering words of comfort into his ear.

Finally Teddy composed himself enough to murmur, "I love you." Victoire smiled. Now she knew everything would be okay.

"I love you two Teddy and so did your parents."


End file.
